Beauty

[I am still oxox]

I have my own nails wrapped with silk and use the CND Vinylux, weekly polish, it lasts as long as a gel lights manicure but my less harsh on your skin.

[ChynnaBlue]

I see it all where I am.

Fake nails aren't dated, nails that look fake are dated. There's a nail blogger who had artificial nails and people were shocked when she removed them because no one knew - they were well done and always polished; they didn't have that fake French manicure look with a half-inch of square white tip.

If you're okay with a longer term solution for natural nails, I recommend a Biotin supplement and DermaNail. They both take more than 2 months to work, but the effects are better than things you might find in the nail aisle at most drugstores. You can read a review of DermaNail here. (Not my blog.)

Water exposure causes nails to split and break, so wear gloves when you immerse your hands in water for dishes or hand wash laundry, etc. and when cleaning. Dehydration does cause nails to break, so I always keep a hand cream by my sinks and use that after every hand washing. I also keep creams in my purse and on my desk. I prefer rich hand creams that might feel greasy going on, but absorb well. Most lotions don't feel greasy, but they also aren't as effective.

[Peetie57_1]

Hi Smoochy: I had salon nails for at least 20 years. I have to say, I LOVED my nails. But, I could not afford the cost any longer, and, very time consuming. Also, the drill was burning my nail beds. I have had my natural nails for about 4 years now. Up until 3 months ago, my nails were horrible. Always breaking, peeling, splitting, etc... UNTIL, I started on the Nailtiques Formula 2 Plus. Highly recommend by some of the ladies here on the Board. This stuff is AWESOME!!! I have to actually file my nails down, don't like mine to long. My daughter-in-law has started on this also, and, her nails are beautiful!

I'm not going to lie and say I don't miss the salon nails. But, what I don't miss is the cost and the time that it took every 2 weeks. I will mention to, I have used the KISS brand, press on nails, and they work excellent. Last at least 2 weeks. I do love beautiful nails, and these options work for me. Good Luck on whatever you choose. I'm sure it will be what will work best for you.

ETA: I do see more natural nails in my area.

[JuicyFruit]

On 4/3/2014 Usedtobeoxox said:

I have my own nails wrapped with silk and use the CND Vinylux, weekly polish, it lasts as long as a gel lights manicure but my less harsh on your skin.

How often do you replace the silk?

[fairydogmother]

today at my new hair salon I saw a friend getting a shellac mani. She highly recommended the nail tech and I have very positive vibes about the salon in general, skill level of personnel, attention to cleanliness and fantastic service. So I made an appt for a shellac manicure next week. We'll see how it goes. The other customers said theirs are lasting 2 full weeks. So like someone said on this thread, it must have a lot to do with quality of products used, and the skill of the tech. And taking her time~this is an appointment only salon. Once again, thanks for all the input. If I end up not caring for the shellac at least I haven't made any permanent commitment right.

[I am still oxox]

On 4/3/2014 JuicyFruit said:

On 4/3/2014 Usedtobeoxox said: <p class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: 0in;">I have my own nails wrapped with silk and use the CND Vinylux, weekly polish, it lasts as long as a gel lights manicure but my less harsh on your skin.

How often do you replace the silk?

Every 3-4 months.

[StacyCrane]

I had acrylics for a couple of years and loved them. My husband kept bringing up the cost over and over so I had them removed and tried to do them myself. Yikes! My nails started to get a fungus and when I took the acrylic off, my own nails were ruined. It took about 6 months for them to look normal and the first couple of months my nails were so sensitive that I was in pain. Stupidest thing I've ever done. Definitely go to a good salon with experienced nail techs!

[september]

I wear the pink and white gels...keep them short. I have to so I can type. At my salon, the nail techs try to make them look thin and natural. I was away on a trip once, and had to get a fill at an out of town salon. My usual manicurist has never let me forget how awful my nails looked after going to someone else!

[Katharita]

The gel polishes (Shellac, Red Carpet Manicure, Gelish, etc) work well for me and I have everything I need to do them myself. The gel polish typically lasts about 10 days on me before I have some chipping.

BUT, if it DIDN'T work well for me, I would go right back to acrylics lickity-split!! My nails are so thin and weak! Tragic!

If you get a good nail tech, you can have acrylics that don't look fake.

I like to go to a salon that works by appointment. I don't usually have time to sit and wait at the walk-in places.

[Shogirl]

I've had acrylics for probably 14 years now. I've gone to the same two nail techs (sisters) for the entire time. The one started her own nail and hair salon about 2 years ago. I think I only have had the acrylics removed once, and that was when I had them done in black for Halloween. I did not like the process of removal - it's long and tedious. My own nails have always been thin and don't grow very long, so I really like my acrylics. Of course, if I get into a budget pinch, the nails would be the first to go! $30 every 3 weeks is pricey.